Another day, another chance to change the world.
These are the words by which I live my life. So much so that 10 years ago, I built a foundation and later a company based on them.
As the CEO of Birds Nest Foundation -- a N.Y.C.-based 501(c)3 organization that provides digital media content to non-profits -- I know that utilizing technology in any instance leads to higher engagement. At Birds Nest, we use the latest trends in media to tell the most important stories. By turning their message into captivating video content, non-profits have a new, innovative fundraising tool. Our digital media-heavy approach is critical to spreading the word to the otherwise uninformed masses.
Like many accomplished innovators, I am a firm believer in collaboration. Aligning myself with smart products keeps my businesses relevant and up-to-date. Until now, I never came upon media-centered product with a philanthropic angle. But when I met David Linderman, founder of the charitable smart phone app Tinbox, I was immediately drawn to his mission. Like us at Birds Nest Foundation, Tinbox creates new philanthropists every day, using digital media content and storytelling to do it.
David, an exceptional 21-year-old entrepreneur, has a cultured background and worldly knowledge that sets him apart from other start-up founders, born from his passionate curiosity and limitless regard to what he can achieve. From saving his team at Iberdrola 12 days a year by reconfiguring their financial processes at age 17, to starting the first colony (now flourishing chapter) of a fraternity in the history of Warwick University as a freshman, David has a long-standing passion for building things that make others' lives better around him. Instead of taking the route into investment banking, which most would take if given the same opportunity, he is creating a career path that fosters positivity and global impact. As someone who has heard and told countless stories, I find that David's is one of the most compelling.
A native of Scotland, his adventurous life led him to England, France, and now America, garnering him an impressive outreach. However, his interest in philanthropy began several years prior during a charitable hike up Mount Everest. David found that by sharing his journey via social media, he instilled a great deal of awareness in his friends. They gained interest in the endeavor and soon inquired about ways they, too, could contribute. In David's eyes, one element was consistently missing: the option to financially support the cause, both easily and efficiently.
He took matters into his owns hands. By combining business expertise and a passion for philanthropy, David and his co-founder Adrien Guilmineau established the Tinbox app as the new frontier of giving. With its "$1 a day" mission, Tinbox helps charitable projects come to life with one free, easy, daily click.
Similar to most apps, Tinbox is compatible with smart phones and simple to download. But unlike most apps, it comes with a profound impact. Each day, Tinbox users "donate" $1 to a charity of their choice, and then have the option to share their actions via social media to encourage others to get involved. A completely cost-free app, Tinbox applies funds that are pledged by a corporation to charitable foundations. By simply clicking a button, users then allow that company's dollar to come to life for a great cause. As for the corporations, they have a powerful marketing tool to engage Millennials, as an engaging ad appears informing the Millennial which company is sponsoring the dollar. HuffPost's own Eleanor Goldberg even called it "a pretty sweet deal for involved companies." Given the obvious benefits, Tinbox has the power to evolve philanthropy, and make it a daily habit in which people from all ends of the financial spectrum can participate.
With the release date for Tinbox looming, David and his team of 6 are working steadily to build their network of corporations and charities. European software giant SAP already offered to allocate $10,000 to charity through Tinbox while the company was starting out in Europe, triggering a whole host of other corporations to get in touch. The media coverage that followed also led to over 100 involvement requests from charities--and counting. Thanks to the app's initial success, now venture-backed, David and his team are focusing on San Francisco, CA and New York City to start.
Whether it be in San Francisco or New York City, it is clear that digital media is the future of philanthropy. I have always advocated that we utilize new technology for good, rather than resist or work around it. Through ventures like Birds Nest Foundation, I have seen first-hand that the benefits are endless for non-profits that tell their stories effectively--and Tinbox complements this quite well.
What's next? An impending partnership. This will allow Tinbox's foundations to share their missions in the form of substantial, commercial-quality video content, rather than purely words on a screen. David's endeavors go hand-in-hand with my own. We use the newest developments in digital media to go above and beyond the typical one-pager and power point presentation, and the results are empowering.
Changing the world requires patience, but it does not have to be time-consuming; we can all start contributing with just the click of a button. Everyone should start his or her day by making the world a better place with Tinbox. Stay tuned for the launch and join the movement to make a tangible difference. If you work for a corporation, visit www.get-tinbox.com/ads to find out how your company can get involved.